A massive global effort to end a crippling disease
Rotary International's Effort to Eradicate Polio
In 1985, Rotary made its historic commitment to immunize all of the world’s children against polio. Since then Rotary’s vast network of 1.2 million members has contributed money, volunteer time, and networking expertise to the polio eradication effort. Rotary’s financial contributions to the global polio eradication effort will reach nearly US$1.2 billion by the time the world is certified polio-free. Rotary’s leadership, beginning in 1985, inspired the World Health Assembly to pass a resolution to eradicate polio, which paved the way for the formation of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988.
Rotary, along with partners such as the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has reduced polio cases by 99 percent worldwide since its first project to vaccinate children. Rotarians have helped immunize more than 2 billion children against polio in 122 countries to date. For as little as $0.60, a child can be protected against this crippling disease for life.
To learn more, visit Rotary's End Polio website.